Help--lethargic pullet with firm small ropey crop and poopy butt

[Dollyhen]

Help! I have a 3 month old salmon favorelle who has always been a bit of a weak chicken. She was badly pecked as a young pullet, now generally left alone, but is small and mellow. The last 2 days she has been increasingly lethargic. She has been standing in the same spot all day in the run while the other pullets are out roaming. She lets me pick her up and check her out without much protest which is unusual for her. She seems to be eating a little bit but not much. I have seen her drink a little water today. Her poop is white and green but nothing that seems really abnormal. Her butt has dried poop on it and stinks but vent is clear. I saw some tiny little dark particles near rear but couldn't tell if they were poop particles or mites? I didn't see any of them moving. Her crop feels small ,hard and skinny and long--kind of ropey. It doesn't feel like the other chickens' crops.
The other chickens seem fine and are all significantly larger than she is.
Any ideas??
Thank you

 

[seminolewind]

If it were me, I would treat for coccidiosis. There does not have to be blood in the stool. But it's a good possibility that she has it. And when she's feeling a bit better, treat her for lice. I would cut the dirty feathers off.

 

[Dollyhen]

Thanks. I started her on Amprol in water--fed by syringe and medicated feed. Unfortunately she didn't make it. She never ended up with bloody stool but did seem to have diarrhea.
I have 8 other chickens--6 of them 3 month old pullets. One of them seems to be acting funny--more lethargic/seemed to have difficulty balancing on perch. I isolated him from the others and started him on Amprol in water as well. The others I put all on medicated feed. Not even sure what I'm dealing with or what to do.

 

[seminolewind]

If it's coccidiosis, maybe you'll catch it in time. Mine have runny poo all summer because of the amount of water they drink. I hope the rest stay fine.

The only other thing I can think of is the crop. Long ropey and hard, may be an impaction. She may have had an impaction further down. If another gets sick the same way, I would think illness. If not, then it may be some kind of malfunction that nothing could have been done.

I'd like updates if you can.

 

[Dollyhen]

Thanks I'll keep you posted--and I'm embarrassed to say but what I was feeling wasn't the crop, it was her esophagus. When I checked another chicken I realized that. She did seem to have diarrhea and had poop all over her butt so coccidiosis seems like a high probability.

 

[seminolewind]

That's pretty funny.

 

[CayugaLover]

if i was in your situation, i would:

1) quarentine the chicken

2) bathe her to remove the poo... yeah, it's gross, but it's nessesary.

3) soft-boil an egg and feed the yolk to her... no, she won't assosiate it with raw eggs.

i really hope my advise helps you!

 

[Dollyhen]

Thanks for all your help. Just to update the little chicken who was sick died within a day despite our efforts. The rooster pullet was fine--after quarantining him for a day he seems fine so I let him out and he has been healthy along with the rest of the flock.
She was a weakling from the beginning but still sad to lose her.

 

[seminolewind]

That's pretty funny.

I meant the esophogus.

I'm sorry about your chicken